Traditional Brazilian Dishes
Brazilian Feijoada
Prepare an authentic Brazilian feijoada with slow-cooked tender black beans, pork, and smoked sausages in a dark, creamy broth, accompanied by rice, cabbage, manioc flour, and orange.
This Brazilian feijoada is a hearty and comforting stew, ideal for sharing on weekends. Soaking the beans, gentle cooking, and the final sauté concentrate the flavor and keep the beans whole, while the accompaniments add freshness and contrast.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓500 g of dried black beans
- ✓250 g of pork ribs
- ✓200 g of salted pork or pancetta
- ✓150 g of smoked chorizo
- ✓150 g of smoked sausage
- ✓100 g of bacon
- ✓1 large onion, chopped
- ✓4 cloves of garlic, chopped
- ✓2 bay leaves
- ✓1 orange, halved for cooking
- ✓1 orange, sliced for serving
- ✓1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- ✓½ teaspoon of black pepper
- ✓1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
- ✓Salt to taste
- ✓250 g of cooked white rice
- ✓200 g of toasted manioc flour
- ✓4 leaves of curly cabbage or kale, cut into thin strips
- ✓Cold water, enough to cover the ingredients and leave about 4 cm of liquid on top
- ✓Hot water, enough to adjust the consistency
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Rinse the black beans and soak them for 8 to 12 hours
Rinse the black beans and soak them for 8 to 12 hours. If it's hot, keep them in the refrigerator during soaking. Drain them the next day and set them aside.
- 02
Cut the salted pork into pieces and soak it in cold water for several hours
Cut the salted pork into pieces and soak it in cold water for several hours, changing the water one or two times. If using unsalted pancetta, there's no need to desalt it.
- 03
Place the drained black beans in a large pot
Place the drained black beans in a large pot. Add the pork ribs, salted pork, bacon, chorizo, sausage, bay leaves, and the orange halved for cooking.
- 04
Cover the ingredients with cold water, leaving about 4 cm of liquid on top
Cover the ingredients with cold water, leaving about 4 cm of liquid on top. Heat over medium-high heat and remove the foam that rises when it starts boiling with a spoon.
- 05
Reduce the heat, partially cover the pot, and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours
Reduce the heat, partially cover the pot, and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours, until the beans are tender and the meats start to fall apart easily. Maintain a gentle simmer and add hot water if the liquid decreases too much.
- 06
While the feijoada is cooking, prepare the white rice until it's loose and set it aside
While the feijoada is cooking, prepare the white rice until it's loose and set it aside.
- 07
Heat a skillet with the tablespoon of vegetable oil
Heat a skillet with the tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the cabbage cut into strips and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes, until it softens slightly but retains its green color.
- 08
When the beans are tender, remove the orange halves and bay leaves
When the beans are tender, remove the orange halves and bay leaves. Carefully remove the large pieces of meat and sausages. Cut the chorizo, sausage, and meat into portions for serving; leave the ribs in pieces or shred them slightly.
- 09
To prepare the sauté, place some of the bacon fat or part of the indicated oil in a clean skillet
To prepare the sauté, place some of the bacon fat or part of the indicated oil in a clean skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until it's translucent and slightly golden.
- 10
Add the garlic, cumin, and black pepper
Add the garlic, cumin, and black pepper. Stir for 1 minute, avoiding burning the garlic.
- 11
Add the sauté to the pot and mix gently
Add the sauté to the pot and mix gently. Taste the broth before adding salt and adjust gradually if necessary.
- 12
To thicken the stew, take a ladle of beans with broth, mash them against the pot wall or briefly blend them, and return them to the feijoada
To thicken the stew, take a ladle of beans with broth, mash them against the pot wall or briefly blend them, and return them to the feijoada.
- 13
Return the cut meats to the pot and cook everything together for 10 more minutes
Return the cut meats to the pot and cook everything together for 10 more minutes. If it's too liquid, leave the pot uncovered for a few minutes; if it's too thick, add a little hot water.
- 14
Serve a portion of white rice with the feijoada and its meats
Serve a portion of white rice with the feijoada and its meats. Accompany with the sautéed cabbage, toasted manioc flour, and orange slices.
- Soak the beans for 8 to 12 hours to reduce cooking time and favor uniform cooking.
- Desalt the salted pork before cooking. If using unsalted pancetta, you can omit this step.
- Add salt only after tasting the broth, as the salted meats, bacon, and sausages provide enough seasoning.
- Maintain a gentle simmer to keep the beans whole and achieve juicier meats.
- Add hot water, never cold, if you need to recover liquid during cooking.
- Feijoada gains flavor after resting for a few hours or until the next day. Refrigerate it once cool and reheat it gently.
- The cooking orange should be removed before serving; fresh orange slices are added as an accompaniment.
- Don't leave the feijoada at room temperature for many hours.